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At Night....Or In The Morning??? (Read 1074 times)


Wally & Leela

    I was just wondering..... Does it matter if you do your running at night vs. the morning? I just ask this becasue I usually end up running at different times...some early morning...some late morning and some late at night.... And I find that almost all of my runs are better at night, for some reason (maybe it's a mental thing?). I just seem to feel better at night. And it seems, when I run during the day, the sun drains the life out of me (Even when it is cool outside)? Anyone else experience this? Or am I just strange???

    It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop. --Confucius

      I prefer the morning. I can get in a 6 mile run about 6:30 am when its light. If I waited till night, I'd be drained from work and it would be dark.
      "If I control myself, I control my destiny."


      #2867

        Generally speaking, afternoon or evening running is better because you've been moving around for hours before you go out so you are looser. That being said, if you have problems keeping to a schedule then mornings tend to be more controllable. Some people also just prefer the mornings because they are exhausted from their days by the evening. I go for the best of all worlds and mix my training up between morning, noon, and night (especially in the winter when it's night more than day.) Sometimes I'll even combine them and do a couple of runs in the same day.

        Run to Win
        25 Marathons, 17 Ultras, 16 States (Full List)


        Wally & Leela

          I have heard it is better to do you exercise (running/workout...ect) in the mornings to get your matbolisim kicking? Any truth to that?

          It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop. --Confucius

          zoom-zoom


          rectumdamnnearkilledem

            I have heard it is better to do you exercise (running/workout...ect) in the mornings to get your matbolisim kicking? Any truth to that?
            I don't think it matters when a person runs or eats...calories in/calories out are not affected by time of day (I've always thought those folks who won't eat before bed are nuts--I can't sleep on an empty stomach and am more likely to wake and raid the kitchen in the wee hours if I try). I personally like running after lunch, early afternoon. And I do better when the sun is shining. I have a really hard time motivating myself to run when it's overcast. I think that aspect of MI Winters is almost tougher than the snow and cold. I had a doctor years ago who couldn't stand all the cloud cover (the western coast of MI has about the same # of cloudy days/year as Seattle, but without the awesome coffee and more temperate weather) and moved back to FL after 2 years here. She said the cold and snow didn't bother her so much as the relative lack of sun for months on end. k

            Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

            remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                 ~ Sarah Kay

              I guess it depends on personal preference. I generally run at night (9 or 10 PM) after putting my kids to bed. When I do run in the morning, I feel really stiff and it takes a long time to find my pace.

              Jeremy


              Another Passion

                I go whenever I can so, it may be in the morning, afternoon, or evening. I've not noted an appreciable difference in quality or ease at any given time period. The only thing I cannot do is get up at the crack of dawn and head out the door right away. Like Blaine said, I am just not that loose and mobile that early.

                Rick
                "The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare." - Juma Ikangaa
                "I wanna go fast." Ricky Bobby
                runningforcassy.blogspot.com

                  I guess it depends on personal preference. I generally run at night (9 or 10 PM) after putting my kids to bed.
                  This is when I do the majority of my running also - for the same reasons. I have friends at work who run at 5am and they cannot understand how I can stay up so late to run. I think it all depends on what you get used to.

                  When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done?

                    i run after work-- so late afternoon or early evening, depending on my meetings/conferences or whatever. i am happiest doing so-- more relaxed. i've got my workday behind me, all i need to do the rest of the night is eat (yay!) and relax (yay!). however, when i start running again, i plan on building a couple of early morning runs in per week b/c ...duh, almost all my races have been in the morning and i'm sick of waking up on race day feeling like i'm on another planet ("wait i have to run right now? wait, what? but but but... i'm not AWAKE yet").
                      Morning is my preference. Pre-dawn if possible.
                        Morning is my preference. Pre-dawn if possible.
                        I agree. Running at predawn is ideal. It helps to avoid the morning rush of people/traffic for one. It also opens up the chance to see some wildlife (deer and such). And, my favorite thing about predawn running is getting an early start on the day and really feeling like the day has started out perfectly, and if timed right, to see the sun rise is awesome. Of course all that requires me to set my alarm for a time I'd much rather not see. Blush However....my best running time is late afternoon. Not sure why though.

                        Michelle



                          The vast majority of my runs are at night. Since I started exercising I just seem to gravitate towards a post-dinner workout. I don't really have much trouble heading right out the door after eating so, I'm kind of lucky that way. I also don't have a problem with running late at night either. My part of town also has decent streetlights so, again I'm lucky. I gotta admit it feels weird running on the streets during the day. If I have the option of a daylight run I hit the woods. I'll leave work early one day a week &/or go out first thing in the morning on my day off to a couple of local forests.
                            I was just wondering..... Does it matter if you do your running at night vs. the morning? I just ask this becasue I usually end up running at different times...some early morning...some late morning and some late at night.... And I find that almost all of my runs are better at night, for some reason (maybe it's a mental thing?). I just seem to feel better at night.
                            I ran at night for 10 years and the last 2 yeaes, I've switched to early A.M. I felt better at night but my HR at a given pace was a lot higher. I'm sure the activity of the workday caused both situations. I was flexible, nourished and wide awake, but also ..... my body was fatigued. Henceforth, the high HR. In adding up all the pro's & cons, I like my overall day better when I run mornings. Just voting on the run itself, nights win. As to which is better training-wise ..... a toss-up.

                            At the end of the day, be happy with where you are and what you've accomplished.

                            Gig


                              During the week, I like to run after work. First, I get up early enough as it is. But moreso, I put up with a lot of inanity. To preserve any potential of advancing my own career, I've had to learn to play nice. Running is my time to purge the senselessness of the day and make me nicer for when I go home. On the weekends, I get my runs in early. Sometimes I get out early enough to catch the sunrise on the Chesapeake. That sets the tone for the rest of the day.